Leeds lining up move for a star who was once worth £59m

Leeds United have the chance to move four points clear at the top of the Championship table this evening as they prepare to take on Burnley at Turf Moor.

Sheffield United lost 3-0 to Hull City on Friday and Sunderland were held to a 2-2 draw by Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, which has opened the door for the Whites to extend their lead with a win over the Clarets, who can move level on points with the Whites if they secure the victory.

Daniel Farke will be hoping that his side are as effective and solid as they were in their last outing in the second tier, beating Norwich City 2-0 at Elland Road on Wednesday night.

It is a huge clash at the top of the Championship table and one that could set Leeds well on their way to securing automatic promotion up to the Premier League.

A loss, however, could create panic, given that Burnley would move level on points with them, and there could be calls for action in the January transfer window ahead of next week’s deadline, given that the Clarets, Sunderland, and Sheffield United have all been busy.

Irrespective of what happens tonight, the West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly looking at adding a midfielder to their playing squad before the deadline.

Leeds eyeing Brazilian midfielder

According to the printed edition of The Sunday Mirror (26/01/2025), as relayed by The Star, Leeds are one of a number of teams lining up a swoop to sign Botofogo midfielder Danilo Barbosa.

The report claims that fellow Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United and Premier League side Everton are also in the running to sign the 28-year-old star before the end of the January transfer window.

It states that Botofogo are looking to cash in on the Brazilian ace in the coming days to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of the year, as his contract is due to expire at the end of December, which means that he would be free to sign a pre-contract in the upcoming summer window.

The Sunday Mirror adds that the Serie A team would be willing to cash in on the former Nice titan for a fee of £2m, which could make him a bargain addition for Leeds, the Blades, or the Toffees ahead of the second half of the season.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not any of the three interested clubs are prepared to move in with a firm offer for his services before the end of the current window, or if they will wait to sign him for nothing at the start of next year.

Leeds could, though, enjoy a Raphinha repeat with Barbosa, by signing another Brazilian who has excelled in Ligue 1 in the past, as they did with the left-footed magician.

Leeds United’s Raphinha masterclass

In the summer of 2020, Victor Orta swooped to sign the winger from French side Rennes for a reported fee of £17m to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.

Raphinha started his career in Brazil, with Avai FC, before a spell in Portugal with Vitoria Guimaraes and Sporting, which led to his move to Rennes in Ligue 1.

During his time in France, the forward racked up eight goals and seven assists in 36 appearances in all competitions, and that convinced the Whites to swoop in to secure his services.

Raphinha was, then, able to translate his form in Ligue 1 over to the Premier League with Leeds, as he scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in 67 outings across his two seasons in West Yorkshire.

As you can see in the clips above, the Brazil international was capable of the sublime in the Premier League and won many points for the Whites with his fantastic qualities at the top end of the pitch.

Barcelona then swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £55m in the summer of 2022, which meant that Leeds made a gigantic profit on the winger after just two years of service at Elland Road – making the initial £17m deal a masterclass from Orta.

Why Danilo Barbosa could be a Raphinha repeat

The 49ers could come close to repeating the masterclass that the club played with Raphinha by signing Danilo Barbosa for £2m from Botofogo this month, because he is another Brazilian who could come in having already impressed in Ligue 1.

Unlike the current Barcelona superstar, the 28-year-old brute would come in as an experienced player without much potential for a sell-on and plays in defensive positions, as a midfielder or as a centre-back, rather than on the wing.

However, his form for Botafogo in 2024 and his previous form in Ligue 1 for Nice, where Raphinha also shined, suggests that he could come in to make an immediate impact – as the forward did.

Barbosa made 25 appearances in the Serie A in 2024 and caught the eye with 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, without making a single error that led to a shot or goal for the opposition, to go along with a duel success rate of 55%, which shows that is a reliable holding midfielder who is strong in physical battles.

The Brazilian ace, who reportedly had a release clause of €70m (£59m) at Nice after his move from Portuguese side Braga, impressed as a centre-back in the 2019/20 campaign in France.

As you can see in the table above, Barbosa excelled against his positional peers in the French top-flight that term, particularly at playing out from the back, which would be crucial in a Farke team that dominates the ball.

These statistics suggest that he has the potential to be a good fit for the German’s style of play as a centre-back option, whilst his current form for Botofogo in midfield shows that he still has the defensive quality to operate effectively in the middle of the park as well.

Therefore, Barbosa, who made three interceptions and one block against Raphinha in a 1-1 draw between Nice and Rennes in 2020, could be the second Brazilian to arrive at Elland Road via Ligue 1 to become a successful signing for the Whites.

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Leeds can forget Buendia with late swoop for “incredible” 15-goal star

Leeds could miss out on a deal to sign Emiliano Buendia from Aston Villa.

He was once valued at £59m, given his release clause at Nice, which is even more than Barcelona paid for Raphinha, but Leeds now have the chance to land the 28-year-old for just £2m, which could end up being a bargain for the club this month.